A good place to work in a challenging industry
Pros
Via Christi is facing the difficult tasks of balancing patient care with the reality that the economics of healthcare are a nationwide disaster. Rather than letting the marketplace of healthcare "reform" dictate, VCH leadership is making changes to the organization to best position it for the long term future. Difficult decisions have been and will continue to be made, often impacting jobs. VCH leadership has worked to limit the impact of these decisions, understanding that doing nothing will only cause greater pain in the future. A renewed focus on "patient centered care" is refreshing, though it challenges every employee to question the value they are individually adding to the ministry. With more than 10,000 employees, not everyone will be happy with their job or decisions made by senior leadership. As an employee, I feel empowered to provide feedback as we help to improve the business of healthcare.
Cons
Constant change within the healthcare industry is forcing VCH to make difficult decisions about staffing levels across the organization. This has meant job elimination for some and additional workload for others. Also, due to cost containment measures, employees received no raise for 2013. This is true in many businesses, not just VCH, but if someone is looking for a position where income growth will keep up with inflation, healthcare in a hospital setting is probably not for you.
